Sunday, October 28, 2007

Trick or Treat

Halloween is almost here, and Seth has been totally psyched for weeks now. What's not to like? Free candy.....and lots of it. Plus, this year, he's going to be a Power Ranger. The Red one, to be exact. I must admit I don't know the difference between all the Rangers, but to an ardent fan like Seth, being the Red one was a distinct choice. We actually wound up getting a hand-me-down costume from a friend whose now older son was a Power Ranger fan big time, especially during their hey day.

Seth asked me what I was going to be for Halloween. Since we're not going to a party, I don't plan an elaborate dress up. When I walk him around the neighborhood and local stores, I will wear my jackolantern earrings, to get into the spirit of the occasion. They have a kids costume parade in our town annually, and it's quite a sight to see the little ones marching up and down the main drag all decked out.

One of my "hidden" talents, I've discovered over the years, is the art work I am able to create on pumpkins. I draw on them with oil pastel crayons, copying a cartoon character. This year's choice came from Seth....little alien....from one of his favorite bedtime books. I put it outside, as always, and yesterday we awoke to discover it was eaten, most likely by a racoon. Strewn pumpkin pieces were all over our stoop. Who knew?!

Despite that....Halloween is such a festive occasion, and one that conjures up memories from my own child hood. I used to collect money for Unicef during my doorbell ringing episodes. I recall on one odd occasion actually getting chased by someone whose bell I rang (I didn't know them), and they didn't plan on giving candy. I don't remember what I used to dress us as, but I do recall that my costumes were home made, i.e. a ghost. Things were simpler then.

Not everyone participates, I have learned. Some have an almost "Scrooge-like" attitude about it and don't want children at their door. A couple of parents I spoke to said they won't take their kids Trick or Treating because they don't like all the candy. I said that we filter it out when Seth gets home, and that it's just the fun of occasion that we support....not the sugar.